Arcadian Chronicles I: Battlefield Ometin
by Lil Takashi Kikuakihoshi
Summary: 8 normal teenagers taken to a legendary land in a legendary time...can they rescue Ometin from the clutches of a great evil? Characters based upon real people and cameo appearances by anime characters.
1. Prologue

**Legend of Arcadia: Battlefield Ometin**

**-Prologue-**

          The old woman clutched her deck of Tarocchi cards hesitantly. Her guests were no damsels looking for love nor handsome courtiers hoping for luck in wooing the girls of their dreams. Indeed, today her guests had certainly surprised her. It wasn't every day royalty visits an oracle such as herself.

          "Dama Fortuna," the regal King had introduced, "I've come to request your augery upon the crisis that the Dark has brought upon our fair land of Ometin...perhaps you have some hope for a hopeless time?"

          "Your majesty," Dama Fortuna replied breathlessly, "I'd be quite honoured...please, leave your men to guard the front. I will escort you into the antechamber of the oracle."

          The king dismissed his men with a wave of his hand and followed the timid Dama Fortuna through the moon-illuminated halls of the oracle. She brought him into a large antechamber and asked, "Your majesty, please change into the robes necessary for the ceremony of augery. We cannot risk any contamination in the main chamber." The king nodded and slipped off his royal robe. He donned the proper ceremonial clothes and followed Dama Fortuna into the main chamber of the oracle. He was feeling a bit self-conscious because he had lost the great fur robe he was accustomed to wearing which had been replaced by a ceremonial robe of pure white.

          The king was mildly surprised when he found that the main chamber consisted of nothing more than a spacious table in the centre of a dimly lit room. However, the large oculus at the top of the room provided more than enough lighting by moonlight. The king sat down on one of the nearby cushions so that he had a good view of the central table. Dama Fortuna took her place at the opposite side of the chamber and threw the Tarocchi cards into the air. When the fluttering of the cards died down and most of the cards had fallen, the king realized that there were a few cards levitating in the centre of the table, illuminated only by moonlight.

          "Your Highness, the cards you see...the cards that have not fallen reveal the future of Ometin!"

          "Dama Fortuna, I see...can you see any hope for us against the Darkness? Or are we doomed to fall within its shadow...and to become tainted with its evil?"

          "It is difficult to say, your Majesty. Allow me to perform the second part of the ceremony."

          Dama Fortuna closed her eyes and fell into a deep trance. Muttering nothing but nonsense for about five minutes, she finally began speaking coherent English and wove the fabric of a poem:

_The shadow will grip the land with a fearsome clutch;_

_Ometin feeling the icy touch;_

_Seven years of darkness, plague and fear;_

_Yet the people must persevere._

_To end the reign of terror, the endless plight;_

_The future mages must combine, must unite;_

_In a culmination of our world and the next;_

_Only then, only in time we can dispel the wretched rex._

_With the intervent of heaven;_

_Through time and space, a chosen seven;_

_Though young, and a motley band;_

_They will win the fight; and save the land._

          The king slowly tried to absorb the cryptic poem when all of a sudden, an arrow whizzed through the air at in a furious path and slew the great king. Dama Fortuna panicked, how was she supposed to run? She ran for all her worth, abandoning the cards and the body of the dead king behind her. Using the secret passage that had been built for the safe retreat of all foreseers, she sped through the passageway out into the world. Looking back at the oracle, she realized that the king had been trapped with assassins on all sides. His journey had been made in vain for when he had heard that there was hope, he had been slain. However, as Dama Fortuna ran away into the night, she knew that one day, the chosen seven would come save the land.__


	2. I

**Legend of ****Arcadia****: Battlefield Ometin**

**-I-**

          "Get back here you wretched snake!" Alexa Tsang hissed, as she chased Gwen Tang through the hectic mall after being insulted as a 'Pathetic Pig'. Gwen's flowing hair flew behind her teasingly as she ran with immense speed away from her attacking life-time rival. Soon afterwards, Alexa was left huffing in her dust, briskly brushing her long black bangs away from her glaring eyes. 

          "Come on, she was just joking," the young Matthew Yang spoke unconvincingly in a worried tone. Matthew was a bright little kid, who always stuck up for his friends, despite his quite nature. Behind him, Caitlin Ng, Jessica Wong, Robert Wong, Kenneth Wu and Gary Fung, were waiting patiently for they group to collect themselves together again. 

          "So, where to now?" Gary asked uncertainly, as Gwen returned and ducked behind him from the glowering looks of Alexa. It had always been known that Gwen and Gary had major crushes with each other, though neither would ever admit it. The rest of the group assumed that Gwen admired him for his tall, built structure that gave her a sense of security and of course, Gary always did like a girl who could 

        "Why don't we go to that antique shop on the highest floor? You know the one that collects tarot cards? I've really wanted to visit it ever since it opened," Matthew confessed, in a small voice. 

          "I don't see why not?" they agreed. The group noisily made their way through the mall attracting the attention of several security guards.

          Approaching the group, the security guards looked angrily at the motley group. "You lot! Be quiet or we'll ban you from the mall for disturbing the peace!"

          "Pfft….and you donut-loving blue boys are gonna _make_ us be quiet I'm guessing?" Kenneth retorted.

          "Shh….we're going to be in trouble if we make the guards mad…let's just say sorry and move on," Matthew suggested.

          "Mind your manners, _, and listen to your little friend there," one of the security guards had interjected.

          "Uh-huh…you're one to talk…maybe you should listen to _me_ and go on a diet," Alexa had angrily insulted.

          "Why you little brats," the head security guard started, "You are all banned from the mall for a week! Come here and give us your names…we're phoning your parents."

          "Fat chance, boys, you're never gonna catch us!" Kenneth taunted. With the last syllable of his sentence ringing out, Kenneth turned on the heel and ran full-speed towards the escalator. The rest of the group followed suit though Matthew couldn't but help smile sheepishly at the guards as he too ran with the group. The guards in close pursuit, the group followed Kenneth as he wove an intricate tapestry through the entire mall. Finally, out of breath and wheezing, the group found themselves in a never-before-seen part of the mall.

          "Guys…the guards are still after us…we should hide in one of those shops…you know…that one…with the big closed sign on it..maybe we can hide in there!" suggested Caitlin. The group made their way towards the store but found it the door to be nailed shut. The group groaned in dismay.

          "Pfft! I'm not gonna take this from any door!" Kenneth complained, and shoved at the ancient door angrily with all his might. To his surprise, the door broke into itsy-bitsy pieces. 

          "Heh heh.." Kenneth laughed weakly, breaking the utter silence. "Let's see if there's anybody in there, because we should inform them that they're front door is, um... gone." The amount of dust and filth in there was immeasurable. Every once and a while, a rodent of some sort would scamper across the floor. The room could be explained as two words: a mess. They alternated Garyes shuddering. 

          "Um….can anyone find a light of some sort…?" Matthew asked, timidly.

          "Guys, don't you think we should turn back now?" Gwen asked nervously, while clutching onto the pockets of her jeans trying to look calm. 

          "Yeah, good idea," Alexa agreed for once with her. The group quickly turned back, only to realize that they didn't know which direction to go. By the timee they realized that, the crowd was arguing with each other, shouting they're heads off.

          "I can't believe this! How do we get out?"

          "I can't see a thing!"

          "Who touched me? Pervert!"

          "Argh! I'm gonna kill, who's bright idea was it to go here anyway?"

          Suddenly without warning, the ground began to shake. What sounded like tables and drawers bumped into each other dangerously, while the teenagers clung onto each other, trying to keep their balance, only to be tripped and shoved by one another. A bright light in the middle of the room startled the teens as well as illuminating the truly dismal surroundings they were in.

          "Guys? What's happening…" Jessica started. However, she never got the chance to finish her sentence as she and the rest of the group were lifted into the air.

 After a minute, everything settled. The overthrown tables and papers were still scattered all over the unkept floor. The room was just as dark as it had ever been. There was only one thing that was different about the room. The eight kids were missing.


	3. II

**Legend of ****Arcadia****: Battlefield Ometin**

**-II-**

          Matthew awoke with a start. His head ached his legs ached and quite frankly, his entire body ached. His mind was fuzzy and his thoughts raced about in flashes of vivid colour. As the images began to become solid in his head, he made out the kindly face of Jessica above him. She shouted something indistinctly and then propped Matthew up. The group assembled, dizzy and aching, near a forest and found themselves in an alien environment. The sun was rising in the distance and they could make out a small village not too far away.

          "Wow….I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, guys," joked Caitlin. The rest of the group scowled.

          "How can you be making jokes at a time like this?" asked the irate Kenneth.

          "It's just my way of cheering people up. Don't you yell at me…_you_ kicked the door down," Caitlin defended. The pair stood glowering at each other for several minutes until the tired voice of Matthew spoke up.

          "Guys…let's go to the village," his voice started weakly, " maybe we can find someone who can help us…" His voice trailed as he fell unconscious and crumpled to the ground. Jessica propped him up again and felt his head. A fever raged and burned within his small form as he took shallow breaths. 

          "Why don't…we just leave Matthew here for now? We can go to the village and come back…that way, we cover more ground without the dead weight," offered the impatient Caitlin.

          "How can you even suggest that? Matthew is our friend…and he's already as beat up as he can get. We can't leave him here," Alexa defended, vehemently.

          The group discussed among themselves how they could carry the feverish Matthew to the village without too much hassle.

          "He's only eighty pounds…I'm sure anyone can carry him without too much strain," informed Kenneth.

          "Then we should get the strongest person to carry him…because that way, none of us will be too tired by the time we make it to the village," suggested Jessica.

          "I'll carry him. I'm the strongest and not to mention the biggest among us," volunteered Gary. The group nodded in agreement and headed towards the village with the young Matthew being carried by Gary.

           As the group neared the village, dawn spilled over the horizon, illuminating a group approaching them. As they bridged the space between them, the group realized that it was a heavily armed battalion of soldiers.

          "Halt there!" commanded one of the soldiers as they met. The group conceded and proceeded to meet them in good faith.

          "We're just a group of teens who are lost. Could you please inform us where we are?" asked Jessica.

          "Lost? That is unfortunate for we cannot escort you to a nearby town. You will have to travel yourself. Tell us. Who among your number possesses any magic? Perhaps we can get our resident magician to send you to the town of Rananculus."

          The group looked at each other and shook their heads in disbelief. Magic? Was this some sort of trick? "Sirs," Gwen respectfully replied, "None among our number possess magic."

         The soldier frowned and whispered something indistinct to a comrade of his. He then proceeded to speak, "We will dispatch a messenger to the village informing them of your presence. We will try to find you accommodations for the night. Be swift and make your way to the village tonight. The villagers will know that you are lost and will try their best to accommodate you. I see one of your number has been felled…I am truly sorry. We will have a ceremonial burial for him. The loss of a child is nothing light."

          Gary spoke up as the soldiers approached him, "He's not dead! He's just unconscious. Matthew isn't really a rough-and-tough type of boy."

          The soldier looked at Matthew sourly and asked "What kind of boy cannot even walk on his own regardless of injuries? If he were with my group, he'd walk through the snow and ice regardless of his condition. However, he is your chore and may whatever evening star watches over you gives you strength." The soldier nodded and began to ride off with his battalion towards the horizon.

          The group was bewildered. What time were they in? What kind of place has soldiers in full armour on horses? Questions filled to the brim of their heads, they walked towards the village.

          As the group was nearing the village, Gwen broke the silence that had dominated the air before by asking, "Guys…do you think…maybe…that we're in medieval times? Where knights rode around on horses and stuff?"

          Gary replied, "You know what Gwen? That really does sound like what's happened…remember last year we learned about all this in Mr. Bellescig's class? There were knights and peasants…"

          Kenneth argued, "But how could the medieval time we learned in Mr. B's class be the same as this? I mean…sure…those guys in armour and swords may have somewhat resembled knights…but knights died out centuries ago…now it's all for ceremony!"

          Jessica replied, "Guys…this isn't the time for us to argue about some medieval age. We've got to get to that village and we should tend to Matthew…his fever is getting worse." The group agreed and trudged onward in the morning light.

          The sun rising to the peak of the sky, the group finally entered the quaint hamlet. Several townspeople greeted them with smiles and one particularly large man stepped forward to welcome them, "Welcome fair strangers!  Your journey has brought you to the fair town of Duloc! The Riders of the Equine Lords have already informed us of your troubles. Allow us to tend to your fallen comrade whilst you rest and relax in our tavern!" The townspeople eased Matthew, still unconscious, off Gary's back, and carried him away.

          "What exactly do you plan to do with Matthew?" Jessica asked.

          "He's going to rest in the infirmary for a while. Our nurses plan to attend to him until he wakes up," answered one of the nurses.

          The gang nodded and thanked the townspeople for their hospitality, "We must thank you kind people of Duloc for your generosity. You see, we are lost," began Gary, "we were at a mall and then all of a sudden, we're here. Come to think of it…where is _here_?"

          The large, jovial man scratched his head then asked, "We can understand that you are lost…but what is a mall? Perchance you are foreigners? After all, I have never seen those strange insignias on any traveller in our land." He then proceeded to point at the Nike symbol on Gary's hoodie. "Speaking of which," the man continued, "I've never quite seen your style of clothing. Would they be some strange form of wool or silk?" He pointed at Kenneth's tearaways.

          The group looked at each other apprehensively. Perhaps they really were in the medieval times. After all, the people they were speaking with definitely didn't wear anything that looked remotely modern. Or maybe…they were having a simultaneous dream? 

          "You know what, sir? I think we actually might be foreigners…" replied Kenneth.__


	4. III

**Legend of ****Arcadia****: Battlefield Ometin**

**-III-**

          The jovial man looked knowingly, "Didn't I tell you that you were foreigners? Such being the case, let us feast! It's not every day that we receive foreigners!" He grinned and motioned for the people Duloc to welcome the strangers with open arms.

          Several people stepped forward with wide grins while the others disassembled from the crowd and returned to working. Being ushered towards the tavern, the group stepped inside. After being guided up the stairs and to their separate rooms, the group found their surroundings to be more than luxurious.

          Grinning from ear to ear, Kenneth remarked, "Wow…I think I'm gonna like _this_…" 

The group nodded in agreement and began to plan how they would spend their day when Alexa interrupted, "Pardon me, guys, but…we're lost…we don't know where we are and Matthew is somewhere unconscious while we're planning on our day…I think we should figure out where we are first of all then go see how Matthew is doing." The group nodded and stepped single-file down the stairs. 

The earlier jovial man was now behind the bar of the tavern with an apron but still wearing a smile. He asked, "I hope you find your rooms accommodating?" The group thanked the barkeeper and gave him their praises. He continued the conversation, "Just offhandedly…do any of you have any…magic power? We've been in need of mages ever since the elder mage passed away a few months ago."

The group looked at each other and shook their heads. Since when had any of them had magic?

"So then you must be warriors in training? Tell me…what techniques have you mastered?"

"None," replied Kenneth, irritably, "We're not from around here. We don't know magic and we don't know how to fight. We're just lost and we want to get home."

The barkeeper looked deep into Kenneth's eyes and then looked around suspiciously. Silently motioning to them to stay noiseless, he quietly whispered, "The supreme ones have minions who can listen through walls, follow me." He glanced at the door then ducked behind the counter and opened a hidden trap door. He guided the group around the bar and into the hole while motioning for silence the whole time. Gwen, who went down first, found a ladder hidden in the darkness of whatever room she was descending. Shivering slightly, she kept crawling down. By the time the group had finished assembling at what seemed to be a hidden chamber; the barkeeper nimbly crawled down and closed the lid of the trapdoor, shutting out all light.

"_Ignis Illumis_," he whispered and the torches that had been shrouded in darkness came to light. The group gazed open-mouthed and wondered to themselves _What__ place is this?! Are those voice-activated lights…? Or did he just light them with magic?_ Kenneth opened his mouth in preparation to ask a question but was cut even before the first syllable as the barkeeper-magician ushered them urgently down the newly-illuminated hall. Making their way through the winding labyrinth, the group finally met a dead-end and groaned.

          "My feet hurt…can someone carry me for a while?" asked Jessica. Robert nodded nonchalantly and hoisted her into a piggyback position.

          "_Rumpavis_," the barkeeper whispered and the wall in front of the group shattered into nothing but pebbles and stones. The group, now fully aware that they were not in an ordinary world, briskly stepped forward into what was an ancient room used for planning military battles. Maps littered the floor and a table sat in the middle of the room, upon it, a scale model of a kingdom of sorts. Several feet of parchment were tacked onto the wall and yellowed with age. Torches, burning brightly hung from the walls. The group finally took this time to ask the barkeeper the questions that had been wildly racing in their minds.

"Alright, where are we, barkeeper?" barked Kenneth, "I don't want to be left in the dark anymore." Clearly irritated, he tapped one foot impatiently.

The barkeeper responded, "You are in the land of Ometin, the principality of Scientia under the rule of Empress Naso, one of the supreme ones. However, the supreme ones are not the rightful rulers of Ometin. In fact, Ometin used to be ruled as one kingdom, without principalities, under the Good King Bolton III. Yet, in a series of catastrophes…the kingdom was lost and thus the Sect of the Honour Guard was founded. We are the last hope of a shattered kingdom, you see?"

Robert drawled, "What's that got to do with us?"

"Exactly the point I was getting to. You seven are clearly a prophesised group of warriors come to set our land free. I realize you must not be of our land but with some instruction from the tutors of the Sect, we can hone your natural skills. If you will turn your attention to the writings upon the walls, you will see that they tell a prophecy in which seven warriors from a foreign land will save our own." The group murmured to themselves as their read the descriptions, occasionally gasping at the details about them that were so accurate. 

Caitlin piped up, "These…writings…they talk about seven people…but we've got eight!"

The barkeeper grimaced, "I've wondered that…perhaps the writings missed one a person? I don't know…" He looked away and muttered under his breath.

Finishing reading the writings, the group assembled and spoke softly to one another.

"Guys…we seriously are in a dream or something…we're hallucinating," argued Robert, "There is no such thing as prophesies and warriors and magic. This is all just some day dream."

"It doesn't matter where we are! Let's just get this thing over with and maybe things will be over…you know…like a video game," mused Gary.

"We've got to know more about this…all the writings said were descriptions of each of us…" informed Gwen.

The group turned back to the barkeeper and Jessica stepped forward. "Barkeeper," she started, "tell us more about the supreme ones…"

"The supreme ones, you say? Well, long ago they each were commanders of a war against Ometin…as the most powerful leaders and possessing the most powerful magic, they divided the land into principalities. The strongest, Empress Naso, rules this central principality of Scientia while Sir Velescig, Lord Copeland, Dame Eisner and the Duke of Knight rule the outlying provinces. Each with a fearsome power and large armies, the Sect has been awaiting your arrival since the great Dama Fortuna foresaw you and formed this secret faction. "

"If this 'Dama Fortuna' foresaw us, do we get magic too?" Gary asked.

"Of course! Each of you hold an untapped power, waiting to be harnessed with training. However, your powers will have to be found by yourselves…the prophecy, as you can see, shows nothing of your powers."

The group looked at each other in a mixture of amusement and pride. They had powers! Untapped…and their counsellor never believed that they had potential.

"So then…how did you know we were the right people, eh? What if we were spies?" challenged Kenneth.

The barkeeper nodded, "Anyone who has no magic nor battle abilities would have been exiled by your ages. In Ometin, magic runs along the bloodlines of mages and warriors."

Still stunned, the group couldn't wait to tell Matthew the amazing news. Suddenly, it occurred to them that they had no idea where Matthew was to begin with.

The group nodded and Alexa stepped forward to ask, "Where's Matthew, by the way?"

The barkeeper grinned, led them further into the court and muttered, "_Rumpavis_", revealing the chamber hidden in, yet, another wall. Matthew was standing in robes of navy blue and cherry red while at his side hung a sheathed sword.

Smiling weakly he asked, "So how do I look?"

Robert rolled his eyes and asked, "Matthew…we were worried about you…and all this time…you've been _trying on_ clothes?"

Frowning, Matthew looked dejectedly at his shoes. "I didn't know where you guys were…those nurses brought me down here and told me change so that the Empress' Guard wouldn't notice me…"

Alexa asked, "So you know about all this? Did someone explain it to you?"

"Explain what? I don't really know who the empress is or who her guards are…but they seemed anxious…so I quickly changed…" He blushed and looked away. "I didn't really wanna see you guys in this get-up… I was planning on changing back after I saw how I looked…"

Kenneth chuckled, "So you _were_ trying on clothes, eh?"


End file.
